DE Freeney to retire as member of Colts

Defensive end Dwight Freeney is officially retiring as a member of the Indianapolis Colts, the team announced Thursday.

Freeney, 38, played 11 seasons for the Colts, earning seven Pro Bowl appearances and three first-team All-Pro nods in that span. A formal press conference will be held Monday in Indianapolis.

He joined the Seattle Seahawks before Week 8 of last season and had 3.0 sacks in his first two games but was caught off guard by his release from the team after just four games. He joined the Detroit Lions and played the final five games of the season, but did not tally a sack.

Freeney had 8.0 sacks in a one-year stint with the Arizona Cardinals in 2015 and 3.0 for the Atlanta Falcons in 2016, nearly helping the team to a Super Bowl title. He also spent two years with the then-San Diego Chargers in 2013-14, posting 4.0 sacks in 20 games.

Related: See other players who have retired this offseason:

The 11th overall pick in the 2002 draft, Freeney tallied 107.5 sacks and 43 forced fumbles in 163 games (143 starts) with the Colts, ranking only behind former teammate Robert Mathis (123.0) in both categories for the franchise record.

His 125.5 career sacks are tied with Terrell Suggs for 17th on the NFL's all-time list, since the stat became official in 1982. Among those eligible to be inducted, only one player (San Diego's Leslie O'Neal, 132.5) is not a Hall of Famer.

--Field Level Media